Underdog in the context of "Sports betting"

A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is expected to lose.

The term comes from horse racing and horse betting jargon for any new but promising horse. It has since found usage mostly in other sports, sports betting, and sports journalism and to lesser extent in nascent business environments, such as experimental technology and startup companies.

F1 (marketed as F1 the Movie) is a 2025 American sports drama film starring Brad Pitt as Formula One (F1) racing driver Sonny Hayes, who returns after a 30-year absence to save his former teammate's underdog team, APXGP, from collapse. The film was directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger. Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, and Javier Bardem also star in supporting roles.

Development of the film began in December 2021 with Pitt, Kosinski, Kruger, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer attached to the project; the latter three had previously collaborated on Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Supporting cast members were revealed in early 2023, before the start of principal photography at Silverstone that July. Filming also took place during Grand Prix weekends of the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, with the collaboration of the FIA, the governing body of F1. Racing sequences were adapted from the real-life races, with F1 teams and drivers appearing throughout, including Lewis Hamilton, who was also a producer. Hans Zimmer composed the film's score, while numerous artists contributed to its soundtrack.